Foot-warmer.



A. N. BENN.

FOOT WARMER.

APPLxcATloN FILED 1AN.5.1'916.

Patented' Jan. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. N. BENN.

FOOT WARMER.'

APPLICAUON FILED 1AN.5.1916.

Patented Jan. 1112 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o s uns co. Pmmumw, wlsnmman n c ALONZO NEWTON BENN, 0F CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

room-WARMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed January 5, 1916'. Serial N o. 70,347.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALONZO NEWTON BENN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in F oct-Warmers, as set forth in theannexed` specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a device that will keep apersons feet warm when they are riding in a vehicle or in other placeswhere there is occasion for eXtra protection for the feet against coldmore or less made necessary by the confinement of the person.

I make use of the air space insulation and also the use of materialhighly adapted for insulation as relates to heat, such as granulatedcork, pulp, felt or other materials especially adapted forthe purpose.

Out of the suitable material I make what might be described as a woodenshoe and so constructed that it opens and closes to allow free entranceand withdrawal of the foot,

Y thus providing means for making a close lit around the ankle above thefoot when the footis within the shoe.

Reference will be had ing drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through my warmer when the 'foot iscontained therein. I

Fig. 2 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1 with the warmer in an openposition when the foot is either being entered or removed.

F ig. 3 is the plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a stopper used to to the accompanyclose theentrance to the warmer when the foot is out of it.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing a wall construction used in thedevice.

Fig. 6 is a modified form of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a similar view to that of Fig. 2 showing a heater in the formof a block of soap-stone or other suitable heater in the bottom of thewarmer when the latter is in an open position.

Fig. 8 is a similar view to that of Fig. 7 when the warmer is closed.

Fig. 9 is a plan section showing a plan View of the warmer when inposition.

The materials most desirable for my purpose cannot be made flexible inthe same manner that felt or fabrics are made and hence I must provide aconstruction which is more or less solid in character and at the sametime provide means that will permit more or less a close tit to thefoot. To this end I make my warmer in substantially two sections hingedtogether in such a way as to allow the warmer to open for the entraceand removal of the foot. l

In the drawing 1 indicates the front and i. the rear portion of thewarmer and 3 indicates the foot of a person Vusing the warmer. 4indicates the ankle of the foot. The sections 1 and 2 are hingedtogether at 5 by hinge pin 6.

The junction lines between the front and heel sections are lmade tointerlock like a tongue and groove as indicated by 7. Laying in the soleof the warmer there is embedded a spring 8 of any suitable form orconstruction adapted to hold the parts normally in the position ofFig. 1. However this spring is not a stili spring, not strong enough tomove the parts from position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 1 but only tohold them together in a position of tension to each other so that thewarmer will stay in a desired position, when set that way for enteringthe foot. A projection 9 of the heel portion extends forward under thespring.

en the foot is entered the pressure of the toe of the foot on enteringthe Warmer pushes down at the point 10 on the spring and thus brings thewarmer to position of Fig. A1 when the foot is home within the warmer.

Around the orice vof the warmer I provide a sealingmeans 11 in the formof a piece of soft felt, fur, wool or other suitable material which whenthe foot is home makes a closure around the ankle.

When the foot is removed from the warmer a stopper 12 shown in Fig. 4made of similar construction to the body of the warmer is placed in theopening at the top of the warmer and thus keeps the interior closedwhile the warmer is not in use.

The walls of the warmer are made with the air spaces 13 in order toproduce eXtra insulationl and I prefer out of granulated cork asindicated by Fig. 5 which is molded and secured together in any suitablemanner. f

In forming the walls of my warmer I prefer to make the inside portion 14of the airto make the wallsV spaced walls first and provide on theoutside tions 15 out of the same materials of which the Walls are made,I may make these projections out of any suitable material as isindicated by 17 and then connect them into the walls 18 and 19 asindicated by Fig. 6.

Granulated cork is more or less a i'ragile material and at the hinge ofthe sections oi my Warmer I prefer to construct the hinge portions outof compressed liber or other suitable material and properly connect itinto the mass out of which the body of the Warmer is made.

When desired l provide a heater for the inside of my Warmer and thisheater may be of any suitable form of construction. l have shown inFigs. 7, 8 and 9 a block of soap-stone indicated by 2O as the heater.This stone is apertured as indicated by 21 to allow the spring 8 toproject up through it.

An electrical heater pad or other suitable heater may he substituted forthe soap-stone.

Vhen the sections ofV my Warmer are inally completed all but the outsideiinish, I dip the sections into a body of binding coating of somesuitable material such as varnish or suitable pitch or mastic which notonly gives a suitable finish but furnishes a sort of smooth armor forthe outside to re sist abrasion. This` hard smooth exterior serves alsoas an added insulation. In the drawings 22 indicates this outsidefinish.

`What I claim is:

l. A device oi the class described made oi' sections having more or lessrigid walls molded and pressed out of granulated cork, formed withhollow air spaces on the interior of the Wall, the several sectionshinged together at the base or in the sole region and provided With aspring extending lengthwise of the base and adapted to hold the sectionsin normal position.

2. A foot Warmer composed of sections hinged together and adapted toform a complete inclosure for the toot, said sections made of insulatingmaterial molded and pressed together forming more or less rigid Walls, aspring mounted in relation to the hinge and controlling the movementsthereof when the parts are in a closed position.

3. A foot Warmer composed of sections ot' material of rigid form and ofan insulating character, said sections hinged together and forming acomplete inclosure for the foot, a flat spring extending along theinsole region of the Warmer and adapted to assist in holding thesections in a closed position and adapted to oder slight resistance tothe closure of the sections When the same are open to receive the foot.

4. A foot Warmer composed of insulating material formed in sectionshaving more or less rigid Walls, said sections hinged together at thebase and inclosure for the :toot7 a fiat spring extending alonglengthwise of the insole region of the Warmer and fixed to one sectionand having the other end free and held Within a keeper in the soleregion, Which keeper holds the spring down and permits longitudinalmovement or the end of the spring Within the keeper.

5. A foot Warmer made in sections and hinged together' at the base, saidsections having more or less rigid Walls composed of suitable insulatingmaterial and joined together in a manner to form a complete inclosurefor the foot, a spring adapted to hold the sections normally in tion;With a packing or seal around the ankle orifice oi the Warmer composedof soft and.

yielding material adapted to form a. juncture with the ankle et the footwhen inserted in the Warmer.

6. A foot warmer composed of sections hinged together to form a completeinclosure for the foot and shaped more or less in general outline to thefoot, the sections being made of suitable insulating material with moreor less rigid Walls; with a tongue and groove juncture of the sectionsalong the parting line and a. yielding seal or binding of soft materialaround the ankle oritice of the Warmer.

7. In a device of the class described an inclosure for the foot made ofrigid insulating material approximating the shape of the Jfoot inoutline and adapted to make a com plete inclosure for the foot and madein sections hinged together at the heel region in combination with arigid plate in the form of an insole adapted to be removed, heated and-reinserted for the purpose of holding heat and Warming the sole region.

8. A Warmer for the 'r'oot adapted te inclose the normal boot or shoe ofthe foot and approximating the shape of the boot or shoe in outline andcomposed of granular material molded or pressed in shape and providedwith air spaces on all sides for insulating purposes and made insections and hinged together in the region of the heel and provided witha spring adapted to hold the sections normallyv closed over the foot.

Signed in Chicago, in the State oi' Illinois and county of Cook, this 3dday of January, 1916.

ALONZO NEWTON BENN.

Witnesses:

E. BURGGRAF, H. B. Ross.

Copies of this patent may be obtained flor ve cents each. by addressingthe Gomnaissiener ai Patents,

Washington, D. C.

adapted to form a complete a closed posip

